Mop construction



June 29, `1943. N. B. GRENLEAF 2,323,031

n MOP CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug.. 4,'19'41 /v i.../ 6 j y InVenor, NaMan/'e/B. Green/edf,

Patented June 29, 1943 MOP CONSTRUCTION i Nathaniel B. Greenleaf, Toronto,Ontario,-v

Canada Application August 4, 19413 sierialNa 135,305` 4 c1aims. (cl.l 15;-147) y The principal objects of' this invention are to provide. an improved form of handleanchorage for.mops and the like which will be of arugged construction,V economical to manufacture Vand capable of easy assembly and which will'provide a desirable resilient as `well as swivel connection between the mop headandhandle.

The principal features of the invention reside in the novel construction andr arrangement of partsrwherebyya connectingmember between the handle and mop frame is formed of rubber or other resilient material having cylindrical recesses therein provided with restricted or shouldered openings, the ends of the mop frame being provided with cylindrical sleeves adapted to be inserted through the restricted openings into the cylindrical recesses and to interlock with the shoulder formations on the inward sides of the restricted openings.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mop embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a reduced plan view of the resilient mop frame showing the cylindrical sleeves in place ready for insertion in the resilient connect ing member.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section broken away in part showing the cylindrically sleeved ends of the mop frame in assembled relation to the resilient connecting member.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional details of modified forms of the invention.

In the construction of mops it has been customary to form a looped frame from a length of double twisted wire, the mop strings being either clamped between the twisted wires or otherwise secured to the looped frame. According to such construction the ends of the looped wire frame were inserted within a common sleeve which rigidly connected the same and which formed a bearing about which a metal handle-attaching member was rotatably clamped.

It is desirable to eliminate the use of a metal connecting and clamping element between the handle and frame due to the objectionable tendency of such metal member to mar the furniture or woodwork with which it frequently comes in contact and according to the present invention the connecting member is of a one-piece resilient moulded construction.

According to the preferred form of the invention a looped frame member I, which may be formed in the usual way from inter-twisted Wires, is provided with a pair of short cylindrical sleeves 2 and 3 rigidly secured to the respective axially aligned ends ofthe wireframe, preferably by indenting thesleeves as represented at 4, or by spot welding. l Y

The connectingmember 5` is moulded from Vresilient rubber with a main sleeve portion 8 which is interiorlythreaded'at I'to'receive the threaded end, of a handle 8.-v The'` lower end of the sleeve portion Sis mergedinto a transverse sleeve portionv Sihaving axially aligned cylindrical orices III and' I I mouldedV therein, preferably separated Iby a narrow central wall portion- I2 and having restricted inlet openings I3 at the outer ends which provides an annular' shoulder I `4 at the outer end of each of the cylindrical orifices.

In assembling the'holder and frame it is sim ply necessary to press the sleeve 2 through the restricted opening I3 into the cylindrical recess I0 and to then press the cylindrical sleeve 3 through the' orifice I3 into the cylindrical recess Il, the looped Wire frame being resilient and easily. distorted for this purpose, and preferably the inward extremities 0f the sleeves 2 and 3 are bevelled as shown at I5 to facilitate their insertion into the cylindrical recess.

When the sleevemembers have been received within the recesses it will be noted that the outer ends thereof provide annular shoulders which engage the annular shoulders I 4 on the inward side of the respective openings I3. It will thus be seen that the adjacent ends of the wire frame will be effectively anchored against accidental disconnection from the holdingmember but at the same time the holding member will be capable of Oscillation relative to the frame.

It will be noted that the internal thread extends well down to the junction of the main sleeve portion 6 with the transverse sleeve-like portion 9 and that the upper end provides a nonthreaded portion of substantialy length so that the flexing strain will be effectively distributed and a secure anchorage achieved.

In Figure 4 the separating wall I2 of Figure `3 has been eliminated and a single elongated cylindrical orifice I6 provided in the resilient sleeve portion 9' and the sleeves 2' and 3 are provided with hooked extremities Il and I8 which when the sleeved end portions of the wire frame areV pressed into the cylindrical orifice I6 from opposite ends snap into interlocking relation or may be readily manipulated into interlocked relation by bodily distorting the resilient ilexible sleeve 9.

In the more economical form of construction shown in Figure 5 the annular shoulder recesses may be eliminated as Well as the sleeves and the ends of the twisted wire frame are hooked as shown at I9 to engage in interlocking contact as they are inserted in the cylindrical recess 20 from opposite ends.

The unthreaded upper end of the main sleeve portion is preferably formed with an annular thickening bead 5 and a reinforcing rib 6 leads from the bead 5 down one side of the main sleeve 6 and around the sleeve-like portion 9 and back up the opposite side. One ormore. of`r such ribs may be provided and they will not only serve to protect the lower sleeve-like portion from wear but they will impart added strength thereto and to the main sleeve and form aresilient bond between the sleeve elements.

The entire assembly will have avery desirable ilexibility and the resilient connecting member will not mar furniture or wall surfaces with which it comes in contact, and while I have shown and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, I may resort to further structural modifications within the essential spirit of the invention. 7

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A mop or the like having a looped wire frame presenting axially aligned but separated inturned end extremities, means forming shoulders on said extremities, and a handle-mounting member having an integral resilient sleeve1ike portion rotatably embracing the end extremities of said wire frame and having inwardly turned flanges at the ends engaging in interlocking contact with said shoulder vformations.V

2. A mop or the like having a looped wire frame presenting axially aligned but separated end extremities, sleeve members rigidly mounted respectively on said end extremities and presenting annular shoulder formations, and an integral handle-mounting member having a resilient transversely extending sleeve-like portion formed with cylindrical recesses open at the outer ends to receive said sleeve members from opposite ends and having axiallyA disposed entry openings for said sleeve members of restricted form through which the sleeve members are inserted and whereby annular shoulders are formed to interlock with the annular shoulders presented by said sleeve members.

' 3. The combination claimed in claim 2, in which said sleeve members are tapered at their adjacent ends to facilitate insertion of the sleeve members through said restricted openings.

4. A mop or the like having a handle-mounting member of resilient flexible material such. as rubber and having a transverse orifice', a frame member having free end portions insertedyinto said oriice from'opposite ends,v sleeve members rigidly mounted on the free ends of said frame', said sleeve members having hooked extremities adapted to meet and interlock within said oric'e, the outer ends interlocking with the handlemounting member.

NATHANIEL B. GREENLEAF. 

